Sign-rack for letters and numerals.



v F. THUNELL. SEGN RACK FOR LETTERS AND NUMERALS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-22' I917- FRED THUNELL, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

SIGN-BACK FOR LETTERS AND NUMERALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918-.

Application filed September 22, 1917. Serial No. 182,683.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED citizen of the United States, residin at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt ake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Racks for Letters and Numerals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holders and brackets for movable letters, and pertains especially to devices for holding letters, eonstltuting signs for various uses.

The object of the invention is to provide a sign letter holder of such novel and peculiar construction and arrangement of parts as to afford means for securely holding the letters in readable osition without the use of screws or other snnilarmeans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive holder for self-spacing and other letters, numerals and other indicia, adapted to be employed for street signs, automobile numbers, otiice purposes, and for such other purposes as the same may be found applicable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a letter holder of such novel and peculiar character as to be stamped out of a single piece of metal having means for removably attaching the letters, and means whereby the holder is supported and s us pended with the letters in readable position either above or below the holder.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application Figure 1 1s an elevation of a blank stamped for shaping into letter-holdmg form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of part of the holder shaped for applying the letters.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the TIIUNELL, a

application of the invention as a street sign.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a standing sign partly broken away showing a letter in dotted lines as held by the lips.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the holder shown in Fig. 4, with a letter locked in the holder.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the legs.

Fig. 8 1s a perspective view of a stamped= out self-spacin g letter, the rack flange being shown in dotted lines rior to bending into position shown in full ines.

desk and.

Fig. 10 1s a perspective view of a further modification.

The same reference characters denote thii same parts throughout the several v1eWs of the drawings.

The letter rack or support is preferably stamped out or formed in one piece of metal as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein the dotted lines A indicate the lines upon which the metal is bent. The slits B and the slits C permit the metal within the slits to be bent for retaining letters against lengthwise movement.

The metal is bent or machine pressed on said lines so as to form a back member 1, a base member 2, a side member 3, and a member 4, overlapping the base member. Said members form an angular holder or raceway 5, for the letters 6, which have self-spacing grooved heads or flanges 7 fitting within the raceway 5 and engaged by the member 4 to hold the letters in the raceway. The member 2 forms a base for the letters whether they project above or depend from the rack, and the ends of the ass member are provided with a projection 8 for securing the rack in readable position as desired. The back member 1, has a plurality of flexible lips, 9 provided by the slits C, and said lips are bent inwardly between the letters for spacing and holding them, or after the requisite number of self-spacing letters for a sign have been placed in proper position in the rack certain of the lips are bent inwardly against the ends of the first and last letters, and thereby hold the letters fixed against lateral movement or displacement. The base member 2 has similar lips 10 formed by the slits B, and may be used instead of or in conjunction with the lips 9.

Asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the rack 11 has an extended back plate 12 forming a backing for the letters, numerals or characters, and this form of holder'is specially adapted for desk or similar purposes. The. front member of this rack has flexible lips .13, for holding the letters 6, in place, or lips 1 and 2 respectively may be struck out of the bottom and back members as hereinbefore described, and legs 7 are attached by lips 9. Obviously the holder or rack as first described may also be used for desk or surrounding flange 16, and a pair of slots 17 throu h which a pair oflips 18 are inserted and c enched forsecuring the rack upon the su port when standin on a desk or table.

t will be seen that in all the racks, there is a letter space between the overlapping rack member and the back member, and the letters project from the rack through said space. In Fig. 8 is shown a stamped-outletter 6, having a bendable flange 16 provided with self-spacing projections 17.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a modified form of han ing holder for various purposes and especially same consists of a back 22 having a bottom rack 23, and a top rack 24:, in duplication of the sign racks hereinbefore described and illustrated, except that each end of this holder has a pair of slotted projections 25, struck up for aflixing the holder. Obviously .the back 22 may be contrasted in color from that of the letters so as to make the letters as prominent as desired. The characters ornumbers for this holder may have one orboth ends shaped to fit the racks.

While I have shown the letter retaining lips on the bottom and on one side of the racks, only the bottom or one of the sides may have such lips, and it will be seen that the lips of each row or set have their free ends pointing in opposite direction so that the lips ma be bent inwardly across the raceway and thereby oppose each other in their engagement with the letters. In the event of giving the letters extra space in forming a sign, suitable spacing blocks may be employed.

It will be understood that the letters or numerals for any of the proposed signs are assembled in the racks with or without spacing blocks, and the lips, or certain of them,

are bent into engagement with the letters or blocks, thereby holding the letters against longitudinal movement.

for automobile numbers, and the I do not wish to be understood as con- 4 fining my invention to any particular sign or, si s, or toany particular size or materia in the manufacture and application thereof, but reserve the right to make such changes and variations in the practical manufacture and application of the invention as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a letter holder of the characterdescribed, a base member, a back member, a member overlapping the base member so as to leave a letter space between the back and the overla pin members, and flexible lips inthe bac an base members for holding the letters in relative position,

2. In a letter holder for signs, a one piece rack forming a letter raceway andhavin open ends permitting letters to be inserte and removed through the ends, and a plurality of flexible lips struck out of the rack and bendable across the raceway for holding the letters at various positions in the raceway.

3. A letter holder for signs comprising a base member, an extended back member, a side member, an overlapping member, said members forming a letter raceway having 'open ends and a letter space between the back and overlappin members,and a plurality of lips bendab e from certain of said members into the raceway.

4. A letter holder for signs comprising a base member, an extended back member, a side member, a member extending from the side member and projecting over the base member and spaced apart from the back member so as to form a raceway, a plurality of lips bendable into the raceway, a plurality of lips bendable outwardly from the base member, and supports fitting the base memlloer and having slots for the base member In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

* FRED THUNELL.

Witnesses: I

B. F. PULHAM, F. R. LARsoN. 

